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Operation: LAMENTATION
After the catastrophic failures as Unmoving Virtue and Pious Ascension, the Blood Covenant had learnt from its mistakes. While other colonies fell before the combined UNSC and Sangheili planet-hopping campaign, Expansive Judgement, the new Blood Covenant, was fortified by a massive fleet. Modelling themselves on the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity that protected High Charity, the Expansive Judgement Defence Fleet formed a virtually impenetrable barrier of ship patrols, preventing infiltration and presenting a formidible wall of firepower against any incoming enemy ships. Though UNSC and Sangheili warships possess a significant advantage over their Blood Covenant counterparts, the sheer numbers and scope of the defensive perimeter would overwhelm an attacking force. The events of Operation: CORSAIR, however, would provide the basis of a UNSC offensive action intended to cripple this fleet. Discovering a Kig-yar privateer base near a Blood Covenant hydrogen/deuterium/tritium refinery station in orbit over Gargarensis, a gas giant further out in the system than Expansive Judgement shrouded a field of debris, the UNSC formulated an operation designed to insert an attacking battlegroup with a pinpoint slipspace jump in order to destroy the refinery station, as well as a number of Kig-yar privateer colony asteroids. The refinery provided crucial gases for the Blood Covenant, especially weapons-grade and fuel-grade plasma - without it, the fleet would soon literally grind to a halt, becoming ineffective, leaving the colony vulnerable. Prelude A month earlier, the UNSC Prowler One-Eyed Wanderer had tracked down Kig-yar privateers in the Wolf 1481 System, setting a trap in the form of a derelict freighter. Expecting it to be towed back to the Kig-yar base, Spartan-II Indigo Team placed a slipspace beacon inside the ship in order to relay the coordinates to UNSC FLEETCOM - Battlegroup Retribution had already been mobilised, ready to deploy at the coordinates received. The freighter was boarded and searched by the Kig-yar ship, abandoned and destroyed by the suspicious Kig-yar shipmaster, but the Spartan-II team had managed to covertly board the ship instead, carrying the beacon with them. Arriving at the Expansive Judgement system, Indigo Team activated the beacon and disappeared, leaving the ship and disappearing in the maze of asteroids. The discovery of the Kig-yar base was significant - its destruction would prevent raiders from using it as a staging point, and at the same time would send a clear message to the kig-Yar Privateer Alliance that the UNSC would not tolerate encroachment upon its territory by privateers, pirates and mercenaries. However, the target was a higher-value one than anticipated - the base was located in the rings of the gas giant Gargarensis, leased to them by the Blood Covenant in exchange for providing mercenary troops and ships to bolster its own fleet, and protecting the nearby Blood Covenant hydrogen, deuterium and tritium refinery that was a vital resource for the Blood Covenant fleet. Its destruction would deny the patrolling ships a source of fuel or weapon ammunition, bringing them to a standstill - allowing any invasion a far higher chance of success. Insertion Battlegroup Retribution had been formed as part of Operation: CORSAIR, but was repurposed for Operation: LAMENTATION. Consisting of a number of light frigates and stealth frigates, as well as the Arsenal Ships UNSC Invincible and UNSC Retribution, the battlegroup was almost assembled for a stealth insertion and delivery of heavy ordnance against high-value targets. For support, the battlegroup also possessed the Prowlers One-Eyed Wanderer and Hunter's Arrow to provide electronic warfare and intelligence capabilities. Already present in the combat theatre, Indigo Team was directed to link up with a platoon of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers inserted by the Hunter's Arrow on one of the Kig-yar asteroid colonies. Making a covert stealthed SOEIV launch, the platoon rendezvoused on the exterior of the colony with the Spartans, regrouping and rearming, recovering their armaments - including the FENRIS Nuclear Warhead delivered with them. Infiltrating the colony, the nuke was strategically planted to do as little damage as possible - merely to knock the colony out of orbit, right into the refinery's connection to the gas giant. Without the tether, the refinery would crash into the other colonies in the planets rings, wreaking havok and killing thousands of Kig-yar. Responding quickly, the Kig-yar fleet moved in to intercept. Finally entering the fray, the rest of Battlegroup Retribution dropped out of slipspace engaging the Kig-yar fleet, and recovering the ODST's and Spartans. Scattering the Kig-yar fleet, forcing many to flee through slipspace, the battlegroup began mopping-up operations - a small number of colonies had escaped significant damage, and were deploying ships and fighters - these were shattered by combined MAC blasts, or knocked out of orbit - caught in Gargarensis' gravity well, the colonies would burn up in reentry. Diversion Throughout all this time, the Blood Covenant could have responded quickly, sending ships to support their Kig-yar mercenaries. In actual fact, the Blood Covenant never learned of the UNSC operation until it was far too late - the Expansive Judgement Defence Fleet was moving in to engage a massive Sangheili fleet that had entered Blood Covenant space on the other side of the system, seemingly to stage an invasion of Expansive Judgement itself. The attack was a diversion, offered by Supreme Commander Zuro Dun 'Xoram in order to ensure that the UNSC completed its operation. Consisting of the Fleet of Eternal Redemption and the Second Fleet of Enlightened Benevolence, the two combined fleets numbered more than a hundred ships - despite such a formidible amount of firepower, the two fleets were still outnumbered more than ten-to-one by the Blood Covenant, and initial engagements did not fare well for the Sangheili fleet. Using the asteroid belt as a barried against Jiralhanae fire, the fleet bought vital time for the UNSC, inflicting damage where and when it could. Making a coordinated slipspace jump, the fleet appeared near Expansive Judgement's primary satellite - leaving what was rapidly becoming an undefensible position, and also having the benefit of hurling thousands of tonnes of debris at the enemy fleet. Turning to face the now-behind them Sangheili fleet, the Jiralhanae moved in to engage. Unexpected Parlance At this point, a third fleet entered the system. Certainly not Blood Covenant or Sangheili in origin, the fleet transmitted a wideband transmission demanding that the Blood Covenant surrender - turning to respond to this new threat, the ship was destroyed by concentrated plasma fire by the Blood Covenant - just as more than seven hundred other ships dropped out of slipspace. The Sangheili now virtually forgotten, the Blood Covenant monbilised their fleet in its entirety to respond to such a massive threat. At the same time, a communications link was established between the Sangheili flagship Bringer of Holy Light and the new fleet's own flagship the Herald of Truth - the Jiralhanae Fleetmaster, Chieftain Erebus, revealed that the fleet was from the New Covenant, the remnants of the Prophets own territory and personnel. At first demanding the surrender of the Sangheili, Supreme Commander 'Xoram directed them to pay attention to the actions around Gargarensis - now finished with the Kig-yar fleet, the UNSC battlegroup was preparing to enter the fray on the side of the Sangheili. Witnessing the firepower of the Arsenal Ships, mistakenly assuming that this was standard for modern UNSC warships, Erebus instead offered a temporary truce - in exchange for staying out of the New Covenant's attack on the Blood Covenant, he would permit the UNSC and Sangheili to retreat through slipspace. 'Xoram offered a counter offer - in exchange for burning the Blood Covenant world to a glowing cinder, he would bring the offer of a truce to the Arbiter. Not knowing the other sides' strength of numbers or firepower, neither the New Covenant nor Sangheili were willing to declare war upon each other, especially when the Blood Covenant were still to be dealt with. Erebus agreed, and the UNSC and Sangheili departed. Aftermath Though the fleets and battlegroup would depart, the two UNSC Prowlers would remain behind, observing the progress of the New Covenant fleet against the Blood Covenant. Though still using technology that was standard for the Covenant in 2552, the New Covenant fleet showed a considerably better degree of cohesiveness and cooperation, overpowering the Blood Covenant fleet through sooperative tactics and combination of firepower using wolfpack tactics. The intelligence would go a long way to convincing Arbiter Thel 'Vadam that, while peace would never be declared, at least a state of non-aggression was necessary. After the destruction of the fleet, the New Covenant forewent the traditional invasion of the planet, simply glassing it from orbit as a symbol of the New Covenant's renewed existence and its unwillingness to tolerate any rivalry. The loss of Expansive Judgement would be the final nail in the Blood Covenant's coffin. With their last major centre of government destroyed, the smaller remaining colonies would split off, declaring their independence and declaring war upon each other. A number of them would willing accept incorporation into the New Covenant - others were more stubborn, and only the prospect of orbital plasma bombardment brought them to their knees. The loss of Expansive Judgement effectively destroyed the Blood Covenant - what was left were warring Jiralhanae tribes, easily conquered by the New Covenant. At the same time, the New Covenant would benefit significantly - in addition to the additional worlds, population and resources now under its control, it had showcased its firepower to the Sangheili - though assuming that this was only a fraction of its firepower, the New Covenant had actually fielded its entire fleet in a gambit that paid off handsomely. Suitably impressing the Sangheili with their numbers and superior tactics, the well-trained Jiralhanae fleet proved that the New Covenant was a force that the Sangheili did not want to reckon with, at least not yet. Eventually, spy channels cultivated among the Brotherhood of Ruskt would bring the New Covenant, Sangheili Armed Forces, and UNSC to sign the Unmoving Virtue Non-Aggression Pact - signed over the site of the first strike against the Blood Covenant, the treaty assured all involved parties that the New Covenant would remain non-aggressive and neutral in Sangheili or UNSC operations, and vice versa. In a round-about way, the fall of Expansive Judgement would also see the destruction of the Kig-Yar Privateer Alliance. Though devastated by the UNSC operation against Gargarensis, the Kig-yar contracted by the Blood Covenant would return to Kig-yar space as pariahs - without a base of operations, or the funds to purchase docking space in another base, the small ragtag fleet would soon begin to fail - suppplies were needed for its crews, as well as fuel and maintenance for its ships. Attacking the Sangheili colony of Triumphant Declaration in desperation, hoping to recoup their losses, the fleet would be annihilated in a massive disproportionate Sangheili reprisal, leading to the declaration of war against he Kig-Yar Privateer Alliance. Quotes *"When we joined battle with the enemy, the last thing we were expecting was the arrival of the New Covenant. The Supreme Commander did well - if they had wished, they could have destroyed us. Instead, we negotiated their non-participation against us, and vice versa." *"Gargarensis is beautiful - swirls of greens and blues, with streaks of orange and red. The light scattering through the rings is also astonishing - it's just a pity about the shattered colonies and the debris field entering its gravity well." *"Jackals love asteroids, don't they? I guess it's their old territorial ways applied to space - asteroids have become the new islands." *"Who named it? Lamentation? Geez, pick a better name for goodness' sake."